This invention relates to trailers and transports and more particularly to transports used for moving stacks of hay and the like. Such transports commonly include a bed pivotally mounted upon an axle. The axle is also affixed to a frame. The frame is hitched to a prime mover such as a tractor. A hydraulic tilt cylinder is attached between the bed and the frame, and operation of the cylinder causes the bed to pivot about the axle.
When these transports are used, the bed is tilted such that one end of the bed is against the ground adjacent the edge of the stack of hay to be moved. The tractor is then driven such that the bed is pushed underneath the stack. The bed commonly includes a plurality of longitudinal beams bearing endless chains. These chains are actuated and aid in pulling the stack onto the transport while the tractor is pushing the transport under the stack. When the stack is completely on the transport, the tilt cylinder is actuated to level the bed. The tractor then can pull the transport. When the stack of hay or the like has been brought to the desired location, the stack is unloaded by tilting the bed, reversing the movement of the chains, and pulling the transport out from underneath the stack with the tractor.
There are a number of disadvantages attendant upon the usage of present transports. Since the tractor must push the transport beneath the stack, slippery conditions caused by mud, rain and snow, with consequent loss of traction for the tractor, render the operation extremely inefficient and difficult to perform. Repeated performance of the operation places much strain on the clutch of the tractor thereby causing excessive wear. Slippage of the tractor clutch is a frequent occurrence during the performance of the operation rendering the operation inefficient. Under less than ideal operating conditions, the stack can quite frequently be torn apart due to the aforementioned difficulties.